Staying hydrated whilst engaged in an activity such as walking, hiking or cycling is very important. Traditionally this is done by carrying a water bottle, which can become heavy whilst running and difficult to get to when cycling. Ironically, even the use of a backpack that keeps the bottle handy when hiking by storing it in a side pocket, can cause you to drink less than you should because of the inconvenience of having to keep stopping to pull out the water bottle.
Enter hydration packs and backpacks.
These are a revolutionary way to stay hydrated and avoid having to stop when
engaged in some activity such as hiking or cycling. A hydration pack is a
hydration system that is constructed with a reservoir or “bladder” to store liquid.
The bladder is usually made of rubber or plastic and has a capped opening for
filling with liquid and a hose that allows the wearer to drink hands free
through a “bite valve” that opens when the user
bites down on it.
These hydration packs come in two styles
- either as a waist pack or backpack. The waist pack simply wraps around your
waist like a belt and has a couple of pockets for holding water bottles.
Some have additional compartments for holding keys and the like. The
second style is worn as a backpack. Some of these also have extra compartments
for storing small items such as a portable music player and a cell phone, in
addition to the bladder system described above.
One of the most popular makes of this type of product is the Camelbak Backpack or Hydration Pack, made by Camelbak Products LLC, an outdoors equipment company based California, USA. The name Camelbak is derived from the widely held belief that Camels carry water on their backs. Camelbak Backpacks are known for their superior quality and come in capacities of 1.5 to 3.0 litres, primarily for hiking, cycling and other outdoor activities.
There is a large number of Camelbak
models available to suit the outdoor activity you plan to undertake. They
include:
M.U.L.E. - the workhorse of the mountain bike line. It has sufficient
cargo room to hold everything you might need for a 3+ hour ride and a fleece
lined media pocket protects your smartphone and other devices whilst keeping
them close to hand.
LOBO - the sleek, narrow profiled LOBO is the perfect choice for
mountain bikers with a need for speed. A quick access flap lets you
refuel faster and it has just enough storage for bike tools, phone, keys,
wallet etc.
H.A.W.G.NV - this offers maximum volume for maximum hydration. It is
Camelbak’s largest mountain bike pack with ample cargo capacity and integrated
rain cover for all-day, all-weather rides.
ROUGUE - the Rougue offers the convenience of external fill in a
sleek bike pack.
L.U.X.E - the original mountain bike pack for women.
The above list is just a small sample of Camelbak’s extensive range of Backpacks. The full range comes in a variety of sizes, colours and styles for both men and women, and covers the full range of outdoor activities like biking, hiking, running, winter activities, water sports and daypacks . Therefore, you should plan your next outdoor activity knowing that Camelbak will provide you with a backpack to keep you fully hydrated.